The Ties that Bind
by samanddianefan10
Summary: CC is pregnant and is reluctant to tell Niles.


A/N: I love the show Frasier so I gave Niles the last name Crane.

She couldn't believe it. CC Babcock was pregnant. All of the signs were there. She was nauseous, she was irritable. Okay, that one didn't count. By all accounts she would have been pregnant for half of her life then. She was late. And she'd been having such terrible headaches lately. How could this have happened to her, a normally responsible woman? And to think, the father of all people was Niles Crane, her long time nemesis and sparring partner. Breaking the news to him would be interesting to say the least.

She'd never imagined herself a mother. She'd just assumed that those days had passed her by. It was Nanny Fine's dream to bear children, not hers, right? This was an awesome responsibility, one that she was beginning to question if she was up to. There was so much at stake. She would have to refocus her career, which shouldn't be a problem. Max understood. She didn't want to just assume that he would let her reschedule some of her tasks but he was a working father; surely he would understand. Actually, nothing would really have to change. She prided herself on the fact that she could balance her personal life with her career. She would be able to put her child first while still maintaining the career that she so loved.

Not to mention she would have help from the baby's father, assuming she told him. CC hated to admit it but she was thinking about not telling Niles that he was the father. What would this do to his life? What would this do to their lives? This would change everything. Knowing him he would probably propose marriage, and the last thing she wanted was a feeling of obligation. She did love him, and she wanted a chance to work on their relationship. She just wanted to know if their relationship was real. Getting married under such unique conditions may just serve to test their relationship, not strengthen it. And more than anything she wanted a chance to make it work. Did she know what she really wanted? She sighed, knowing that she wanted Niles. Under any other circumstance the thought of Niles proposing would have made her giddy with happiness.

Soon Nile was at her door, interrupting her thoughts. He was handsomely dressed in a tuxedo.

"Aren't you ready for our date? I asked Mr. Sheffield if we could use the limo. We have reservations at the Tea Room."

"I'm sorry; I guess I'm just a little distracted. I'll be ready in a minute."

Soon CC put on a red evening gown, which to her chagrin was a bit snug, so she changed into a looser and more concealing black one. She concluded her gown with a black wrap in order to disguise her stomach and made her way to the living room.

"You look smashing. Trollop. " Niles smiled at her as he took her hand.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Bell Boy."

After their dinner, Niles and CC went dancing. Everything went smoothly. Eventually they sat down for a break. Niles took CC's hand in his and pulled out a black box. CC stared in disbelief.

"CC Babcock, ever since I've known you, you've captivated me with your beauty, your humor, your wit and your intelligence. I've never known a woman like you, nor do I care to. You've brought a certain something to my life that words cannot express. You've made me a better man. I love you now and forever. What I'm trying to get the courage to say is, will you marry me?"

CC was shocked. She was not expecting this. Niles did not know about the baby, or did he? He did not mention it. This is what she had been dreaming of for so long. Her instinct was to wrap her arms around him and declare a passionate 'yes'. But first she had to know if he knew about the baby.

"Niles, I need to tell you something first. And I need you to be completely honest with me. I've never known you to lie to me and I don't expect you to lie to me. I have something to tell you and I'm not sure how to tell you. I'm still in shock myself."

"What is it, my love?" Niles asked.

She took a deep breath.

"There's no easy way to say it so I'm just going to come out and tell you. I'm pregnant. And I need to know if you knew about this when you proposed."

Niles looked, and was, genuinely shocked. A baby? This was the last thing he was expecting. "A baby? That's wonderful! I can't believe it. How far along are you? And no, I had no idea. I do want to marry you. I hope with all of my heart that you will say yes."

"I'm two months along. I just found out. And I was afraid that you only wanted to marry me because of the baby."

"CC, that's ridiculous. I've wanted to marry you for quite some time now. We belong together. I would not have proposed, if I did not want to spend eternity with you. But don't you see that I genuinely want you to be my wife? I love you and I want to be with you for the rest of my life. And now we're going to have a baby! CC let's do this. Make me the happiest man in the world and say yes." He took her hand and looked into her eyes.

CC's eyes filled with tears. She didn't know if it was the pregnancy, of if it was the emotion of the moment. But she definitely felt herself getting carried away by the love she had for the man in front of her. "Yes, Niles. I would be happy to marry you."

And so two months later CC and Niles were joined in holy matrimony. Seven months later, Olivia Crane made her entrance. She was joined a year later by her sister Ashleigh and the family was complete. CC would look back on the days when she had her doubts and laugh, for Niles would never give her reason to doubt his love. He was an excellent provider, lover and father. He did everything in his power to show his love for his family. And it all started with a simple "Hello, hello."


End file.
